Use Complaint Box Instead Of Social Media: Army Chief To Soldiers

New Delhi:Army Chief Bipin Rawat on Friday said that soldiers can write to the Army regarding their grievances using a complaint and suggestions box, instead of using social media.

The Army Chief’s response came after several videos emerged of Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans complaining about facilities provided to the troops, as well as, in one case, harassment from senior officers.

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Speaking to the media, the newly-appointed Rawat said that instead of posting videos on social media, troops should use the mechanism available within the Army to get their concerns addressed. He assured such aggrieved personnel that the Army would keep their identity secret.

Referring to a video by Lance Naik Yagya Pratap Singh in which he alleged harassment by superiors, Rawat said that Singh may not have been happy with the response he received following his complaint.

On Eastern Commander Lt General P Bakshi’s accusation that people within the army were maligning him, Rawat said Bakshi should approach him with formal information.

On Chandu Chauhan, the soldier who was captured by Pakistan for straying across the Line of Control (LoC), the Army chief said soldier repatriation procedures would be followed since Pakistan had admitted that the Chauhan is with them.

Rawat said that further surgical strikes may be carried out if ceasefire violations by Pakistan increase again.

In a reference to the unrest in Kashmir, Rawat said that the Army’s priority was to fight the proxy war that threatened the country’s secular fabric. “With synergised efforts of security forces, we have been able to bring situation under control in Jammu and Kashmir,” Bipin Rawat said.

Pitching for use of more technology to stop security breaches from across the border, the Army Chief admitted that completely relying on human effort was not the solution.